THE INTERPRETATION OF ASPECTS OF LIGHT, SOUND, COLOUR AND TIME IN THE NOVELS “LIFE AND FATE” (Vasily Grossman) AND “FATELESSNESS” (Imre Kertész)

Abstract

Nowadays, the novels “Life and Fate” (1960) by Vasily Grossman (1905-1964) and “Fatelessness” (1975)by Imre Kertész (1929-2016) attract attention of not only numerous readers but also literary critics. However,the critical articles focus mainly on the authors' philosophy and characters' thoughts, present commentarieson the world, war, human life under totalitarianism.The paper aims at investigating the magic power of lights, colours, sounds and their artistic reality in the novels“Life and Fate” by Vasily Grossman and “Fatelessness” by Imre Kertész; at revealing, analyzing and comparingthe meaning of lights, sounds, colours and theirs effect on the images embodied by writers in the novels “Lifeand Fate” and “Fatelessness”.Despite the fact that “Life and Fate” and “Fatelessness” were written in a reserved style there are certaincolours, light and sound effects which influence the emotional world of heroes in the novels. The paper considersthe various meanings of white colour in the novels, various types of the light at night and in the daytime, comparesthe effects of white and dark lights, determines the light of wisdom, gives interpretation to the noise of food kettlesin the novel “Fatelessness” that sounds like a chime in the ears of prisoners in the concentration camp and bringthem to life.The hidden colours, lights and sounds occupied proper places in the novels, their function is artisticallymotivated by Vasily Grossman and Imre Kertész. The light and sound gamma in these novels became integralexpressive tools creating such a background of the sphere of feelings that possesses magical power, helpsto reveal and better understand the emotions of the characters, brings the readers closer to the real time andinvolves them in the conditions and events lived by the characters. The sounds of voices, shades of coloursand aspects of light in the novels “Life and Fate” and “Fatelessness” are immortal, an everlasting bright sparkof life and energy lives in them.